Archive for the ‘Reflections’ category
For the Sake of Allah
By Ismahan Abdullahi There was a time when words spoken were binding contracts; pledges held and honored, where an individual would act as a testimony to his character. Speech was not just words of folly, but rather true and honest communication between individuals. Often times we utter words heedlessly without realizing the impact it has on [...]
I Promise.
By Nabila Z Most of us, we never really intend to break a promise when we make one. That’s why it is a promise in the first place; a confirmation to someone of a future action we pledge to do. A verbal guarantee. As children, we grow up learning about keeping promises from our parents, [...]
Bringing a Secret to the Prophet’s Garden
I had been in Medina for 3 days and the crowds were like I had never seen in this city before, not even during Ḥajj. Would I leave without visiting the Prophet ﷺ? Anyone who has been there knows that such a thing is unthinkable. We had to give it one last shot. My sons [...]
Broken Pieces of Clay and Pottery: A Lesson in Humanity
By Farhia Yahya I was once walking along a narrow but busy street in Cairo when ahead of me was a donkey-cart laden with handmade pottery and clay utensils. It belonged to an old man who had been walking slowly beside it, and trying to sell whatever he could to make an income. He walked [...]
Don’t Leave the Mountain
Dear Brother, I have known you since you were a teenager, and I have witnessed you bloom beautifully. When I saw you around friends and people in the community, and saw how steadfast on the deen (religion) you were, you reminded me of how Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala (glorified is He) protected Musa and brought [...]
This Tree
By Abid Mohammed “Daddy!” I said. “Yes, son?” my father replied. “Why do people only work five days a week and not seven?” I asked. “Well, because most people need a break from all the hard work that they…” “But why?” I asked again. “If you’ll just let me finish, I’ll tell you wh..” “But [...]
Qur’an – The Centripetal Force
By Mehreen Omer Life has always been a mystery for me; it is an enigma perhaps no one can solve. But one thing that I’ve been able to discern from my life is that the Qur’an keeps your life in order. The longer and the further you go away from it, the greater the chance [...]
It’s Not Just a Green Card
By Yeasmines “But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah knows, while you know not.” (Qur’an, 2:216) These are the verses that eventually shaped the very nature of my existence with my Creator and the struggles He [...]
The 7 Goals for a Productive Day—Surah Fatiha
By Sana Gul Waseem We all want to have a productive day. We strive hard in figuring out our interests and potential and learn to manage that precious commodity, time. We set goals and develop strategies to accomplish them. Now, the point to ponder is, are these “goals” really aimed at gaining the Pleasure of [...]
Seeing the Clouds Move
By Ubah Mohamoud When I was younger, I took many things for face value: leaves were green, fire burned, candy tasted yummy, and perfume smelled nice. I don’t remember ever questioning why certain things were the way they were—in depth at least—and I just sort of accepted whatever I perceived as being the ultimate truth. Which is [...]
Genuine Surrender: Lessons from Labour
By Umm Sephora We learn many of life’s most profound lessons through paradox. Here we are – human beings with a soul that yearns for the eternal and lasting, yet living in a world of the temporal and ephemeral. Our hearts seek spiritual highs, yet all the while are encased within bodies which have physical [...]
Luminosity: Lessons from the Full Moon
In the summer of 2010, my friends and I went camping during a full-moon in the famous White Desert. As the sun began to set, we made camp and had dinner under the stars. It wasn’t until later in the night that we really saw the full-moon. For all the full-moons we’ve seen, nothing compared [...]
Are You Like Her?
As I stood amongst millions of pilgrims from across the globe, I noticed a girl walk up to two elderly women sitting in front of Masjid al-Haraam. After greeting them both, I noticed her asking if the women may be interested in a bag. One of the two women accepted it eagerly, excitedly pulling out [...]
Put Your Best Face Forward
Think back to the last time you caught a glimpse of yourself in the mirror when you were stressed. Did you look approachable? What message did you send to others around you with your distressed facial expressions? What type of reaction did your family or co-workers have when they engaged with you while you were [...]
The Hijab Diaries: Going Back to School
By Gabrielle Deonath The Hijab Diaries: Part I | Part II Because I started wearing my hijab in the beginning of this past summer, a thought that was always in the back of my mind was how people in school would react to the change I’d made. How would acquaintances and friends treat me? Would [...]
Beware of Zombies. Or Are You One?
By Moutasem Atiya A few months ago, I was sitting with Shaykh Mohsen Al’Najjar in the Mosque of our Messenger Muhammad ﷺ (peace be upon him and his family), preparing to make the blessed ziyara (visitation). As we sat, I could not help but marvel at the amazing Ottoman calligraphy decorating the mosque. My eyes and spirit [...]
Watch as He Increases You
I was walking through the streets of a city that I have been blessed to visit—except it didn’t really feel like a blessing. Everywhere I looked people were yelling, people were fighting and worst of all they were invading my little bubble of privacy that had been unaltered all the years that I was in [...]
The Secret Double Life of a Hijabi
By Yeasmines Multiple hands rose in the air when the teacher asked the class to share our hijab story. I saw the eager and enthusiastic looks on each sister’s face as they held their hands up high. Subhan’Allah (glory be to God), I was amazed how each person had a unique story to share. In particular, I [...]
Change
By Talha Ghannam Since reading Muhammad Asad’s “The Road to Makkah”, I have become fascinated with exploring the perspectives non-Muslims and converts have on Islam and life generally. Being born Muslim, many of us take for granted the way we think and act, rarely paying attention to the reasons why. We casually assume every person [...]
30 Something
Originally published in May 2007 The Prophet ﷺ (peace be upon him) said, “Order your children to pray at seven and hit1 them [for not praying] at the age of ten.” In a recent comparative law class this hadith (narration) was addressed by one of our professors. He writes that the order here is not [...]
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